Anyone else somewhat worried?

Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:29 am

I'd often been concerned now and then when I'd think about the number of concussions Tony took earlier in his Cup career (he had several from 2000-2005) and in other races. I hadn't really paid much attention to all the NFL talk, but with Earnhardt's deal, it's got the racing people talking. Fred Lorenzen's daughter posted an open letter to Dale Jr. on her father's Facebook fan page, I had no idea Fred has dementia likely from his hard accidents as a driver. It's a sad late stage of life for one of our icons, and now I worry about Tony's quality of life as he gets older. Hopefully they weren't as bad as we were led to think, but I figure it'd be the opposite.

The good thing is that medicine gets better every day, so maybe the effects won't be as severe for him as they have been for Fred and others, most notably LeeRoy Yarbrough.

Re: Anyone else somewhat worried?

Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:48 am

HTower wrote:There is no treatment for concussions aside from lack of physical activity. None.

i often bring up up one of my fav hockey players derek boogaard, who died from taking too much oxicontin, he was in pain from his concussion, he was out from oct 2010, til his death in may 2011, there was nothing they could do, every week or so they would take him to the practice rink and as he tried to skate, he would pass out, look at sydney crosby he was out for well over a year with symptoms, nascar needs to step up and have it mandatory that if a driver is in a crash, that they be tested for a concussion.....

Re: Anyone else somewhat worried?

Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:57 am

HTower wrote:There is no treatment for concussions aside from lack of physical activity. None.

That is exactly what the Sports Dr said last night, but he also said Jr needed to do that after Kansas, because the G forces where double compared to Talladega. I just hope, if he gets back in the car no more hard hits. Layering concussions will kill you.

Re: Anyone else somewhat worried?

Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:34 pm

yeah you just have to wait for the brain to heal.

I do think on a positive note though with all the safety around a drivers head, it is much harder to get a concussion nowadays than when Fred Drove.Sudden stoppage is the scariest part. I think if Dale jr didnt already have a concussion he probably wouldnt have gotten one at dega.I agree that they need to check for those things. & not from just races. Dales started after practicing at Kansas.

Who was the driver this year in the NW series (I think) who's throttle stuck in a wreck & creamed the inside wall. He was out for several weeks after that wreck.

Re: Anyone else somewhat worried?

Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:49 pm

Schmoopy1000 wrote:yeah you just have to wait for the brain to heal.

I do think on a positive note though with all the safety around a drivers head, it is much harder to get a concussion nowadays than when Fred Drove.Sudden stoppage is the scariest part. I think if Dale jr didnt already have a concussion he probably wouldnt have gotten one at dega.I agree that they need to check for those things. & not from just races. Dales started after practicing at Kansas.

Who was the driver this year in the NW series (I think) who's throttle stuck in a wreck & creamed the inside wall. He was out for several weeks after that wreck.

Re: Anyone else somewhat worried?

Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:33 pm

No, not an idiot. It hasn't been talked about much in the NASCAR world, which surprises me. Some people know more about it because of following other sports, most notably hockey and football and are used to hearing about it.

I'm just hoping they institute some type of testing a day or two after wrecks. CYA people...

Re: Anyone else somewhat worried?

Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:27 pm

Well.... let's not be too hasty here... LOL

A concussion is any head injury that shakes or impacts the brain. ( G-forces & roller coaster rides can give people concussions, believe it or not ) You don't have to be unconscious to have a concussion. The "treatment" that IS available nowadays, in neurology, would depend on the individual and where the brain was impacted and how much. Someone who is in better age & shape with a concussion to the front will be treated differently from an older person who took a whack to the back or sides of the head. What was the impact? A race car driver suddenly at halt? A fall back from a chair? A fall from 4 stories up ? A baseball whack to the head? It all depends on the damage that was done. A person's after effects will relate to the area of the brain that was injured, from bouncing around inside the skull.

To say there is no treatment available is not quite right. Neurology is making huge strides in recent years. They can remove water from swelling, they can monitor, they can operate and have new drugs available . . - - all that was not available in recent years. People like pro sports athletes have stepped up and said "Study me" which leads to further knowledge.

Some people's concussions do get no "treatment" by the nature of it... while others can and do receive treatments. While these are not "cures" ... they are "treatments" that were not previously available. I had a concussion that only required stitches ( don't ask ! LOL ) and had a friend in a car accident that had swelling reduced, brain surgery and is now doing OK, some 4 years later. One concussion does not fit all.